After President Trump “both sides”-ed the hatred and violence seen in Charlottesville over the weekend, he was castigated by many, included fellow Republicans, for not condemning white supremacists specifically — which was roundly praised by, you guessed it, white supremacists. President Trump finally read from a teleprompter Monday to denounce hate groups, “including KKK, Neo-Nazis, White Supremacists” while calling racism “evil,” but it might be a case of too-little, too-late as his Gallup poll approval ratings fell to 34%, the lowest they’ve been during his seven month presidency.
According to Gallup’s own analysis, President Trump’s approval rating was already hovering near 34% on Friday after a week of bluster about North Korea during his planned 17-day vacation at his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, but the number dropped further after the violence in Charlottesville that left one woman dead and countless injured. Moreover, Gallup reports that President Trump’s approval among Republicans is at the lowest its been since taking office, as well, and was at 77% for the period between Friday and Sunday.
Trump’s approval rating is the lowest for a newly elected president at this point in his first term, but other presidents like both Harry Truman, Jimmy Carter, both Bushes, and Richard Nixon all fell below 34% at one point. Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, never did.
(Via Gallup)